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Why not a used Azimut?

Discussion in 'Azimut Yacht' started by Zud, Jun 1, 2015.

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  1. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    All of these other brands mentioned above are cool. I worked on a Viking/Princess 58 with V-10 Mans (M) and I enjoyed it. My skinny step son fit perfectly in those tight areas, I had no problems working in the MANs.
    Power-Fold-Back roof was cool. No problems or leaks but I often wondered when problems would start. Funny dink garage in the stern. I could get in there but wondered why it was not accessible from the laz (more storage and gen-set area) to help launch & retrieve the dink.
    I thought she ran and rode will in the slop at speed.
    Master forward, two matching cabins on the hips astern. Nice saloon/galley/dance floor. Nice upper helm area.

    Yep ,, I had fun on her.

    If your looking at a Mut, don't over look what was mentioned above.
  2. Zud

    Zud Senior Member

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    Well i 've given up on the "Mut" i just don't think I want the headaches as well as the dings to the pocketbook. Probably Sea Ray vs. Neptunus Now Go !!! Would like to stay Great Lakes area for lower hours as well as fresh water
  3. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Of those two I'd stick with Sea Ray. Much better representation (service, parts, dealer support). Good idea staying with the fresh water boats, but remember that brings it's own set of problems; zebra snails and electrolysis, and not as many boats in this range to choose from.
  4. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I've managed/maintained 3 different Neptunus and ran about 5 others. There are NO problems with factory support, parts or any of that. Most parts are US sourced parts that are easy to get locally. You call the factory or email and they help you with anything you need instantly (info or parts). Also the guy you get on the phone knows the parts right off of the top of his head. They're a smaller builder with long term employees, and you can talk directly to the various people that built your boat. You have more issues dealing with Marinemax for parts on Searays,
  5. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    By that logic, wouldn't you always choose a Sea Ray over any other boat?

    As to the representation you mention, he's not going to be under warranty or dependent on dealer support and really service and parts are dictated by the equipment and electronics and I believe Neptunus uses about as standard as one can.

    You make a very valid point of fresh water issues existing too. Automatically assuming a fresh water boat is in better condition than a salt water boat can lead to trouble. The outdrives of the boats left in the water on the lake we lived on looked as if they'd been kept in salt water, due to the mineral content. I was told two lakes up on the river and closer to the mountains was even more so.

    That said, I'd probably choose the Sea Ray simply because I've owned three, although small runabouts.

    Be patient in your boat search. The right one is out there and you'll know when you find it.
  6. Zud

    Zud Senior Member

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    Thanks to all who have responded, I must say that everyone on here has been more helpful than my "previous" broker in helping me determine what type and size boat I should be looking for... That said please don't stop with the information because I have need for more knowledge and have plenty of time to look for my next boat. NYCAP and OB, even if I find a fresh water boat, surveys will be first order and plentiful. By the way I'm not far from St. Catherines, Ontario. THANKS AGAIN !!!
  7. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    I worked on one Neptunus with Cats.
    The interior panels fabric was falling apart. The rest of the ship was very good and ran well. I suspect long periods of non use and heat ate up the wall and overhead fabrics. Not a big factory issue. This could be a good ship to shop for.
  8. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Another novel. Thru the years we all have commented on our luv/hate thoughts of yacht brokers (out of work used car sales persons).
    Not to dump on your broker or say anything evil his (her) way.
    It is hard to find a trustworthy broker that can correctly guide a purchaser thru the gauntlet of used yacht purchasing. Good brokers are out there and worth their weight in,,,,,, silver.
    Maybe 1 out of 5. And sometimes the good ones still mis-read their customers. Give yours another try with your new thoughts, If your still not sure he (her or other) is your new (trustworthy) best friend, Well, there is always another yacht broker (used car sales person).
    A better (in touch) broker may have already mentioned a few of our comments.

    Sense that comment came up (broker), I HAD to throw this out here.
    I apologize if my personal feelings were inappropriately expressed (NAW).
  9. Zud

    Zud Senior Member

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    rcrapps your golden !!! I think my Broker had my best interest at heart but was not real helpful in searching for boats...I recommended boats to them. how old was the boat? all that I have seen and been on have held up fairly well for their age
  10. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Only to my friends do I open up;
    rcrapps is short for Ralph Crapps (capt, 100 ton, near coastal). Yep, that's a real last name.
    Sometimes it shows in my attitude (just ask anybody here)..
    But, like many here on this YF forum, we believe in our personal experiences and try to share what we know.
    Some times I get carried aweigh. Sometime others do also.
    Your getting personal advice from around the world, sometimes a bit more verbose and carried aweigh than from other people or sites.

    Ya have to like salt also.

    If your really looking for a dream boat; shop, shop, shop till you drop. It will be a lot of money your putting down on a non-appreciating project.
    Bug the heck out of every listing broker for details.
    Rent or charter a similar model (up front with that captain) before you make your purchase.
    Ensure you have a reliable shop to maintain that model ship and main engines.
    Keep all of us (world of people) in touch with what your looking at.

    Old statement (think I saw the video); It's cheaper to walk to the ocean and throw all your money in,, than own a boat..

    Good luck,
    Ralph
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2015
  11. Perlmudder

    Perlmudder Member

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    If you are close to St. Catherines than Neptunus is a good choice. Ship Shape Marine is right in the Welland Canal and they do a lot of work on Neptunus, and launch most of their new boats at their facility. There was a relatively new (mid 2000's) Neptunus 56 at my marina. They had very good luck with it, and it performed well. Parts wise, many things were sized much larger than other brands. Cleats, windlass, railings, stairs, etc, were much larger than a comparable size Carver, Sea Ray, Cruisers, etc. Service from the factory was also very good as others have mentioned.
  12. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I once ran a yacht (express) for a very eccentric owner. Him and his buddy were sitting on the aft deck while we were running at 25 knots to the Bahamas. His buddy asked him how much it costs to run the boat, he stood up and pulled out a wad of $100's and started peeling them off and letting them fly into the water and said that much......LOLOLOLOL
  13. Zud

    Zud Senior Member

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    :eek:Okay thats enough, after all of the help... now you guys are scaring me !!!:D
  14. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Your the one that wants to buy a boat. Insanity level #2.
  15. Zud

    Zud Senior Member

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    Touche !!!
  16. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Yeah but you own AND live on a boat, so that's double insanity and then work on them for a living, as if you cannot get enough boat. So that's triple insanity hehehehe.
  17. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Yep, absolutely insane.
    So, I can recognize the symptoms in others also,, I know this doctor you should call also,, Brother..
  18. Mark Woglom

    Mark Woglom Senior Member

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    Zud,

    I've owned an Azimut, and I enjoyed the boat, but there were some quirky issues with the boat. Search my posts, and you'll get a flavor.

    My current boat is less quirky, and most systems were better engineered, including heavier mechanical and electrical systems, That said, when the "better systems" break, they often cost more to fix than the cheaper systems. 10 year old systems break ... there is no free lunch.

    If I were buying a boat in that size/age/price range, I'd look at Sea Ray. The systems are probably comparable in quality, but less "quirky", more consistent in design, and Sea Ray is much more apt to use readily available parts/components of US origin. If you have a broken Sea Ray, any reputable yard can find a solution. If your Azimut needs a new refridgerator, you'll be a while trying to find another that fits in the opening, if there is such an animal.

    The one big positive I will give to the boat you describe, is the 10 year ownership by the original owner. Assuming the boat has well been cared for, that sounds like a happy boat owner, and I'll bet many of the quirks have been solved. I suspect Azimut built some good boats, and I'm almost certain they built some lemons. I can't imagine an owner holding a lemon for 10+ years. Assuming the price is right, and recognizing that the Azimut brand carries some stigma, I wouldn't completely discount the idea of buying that boat.

    Again, I enjoyed mine, and I didn't have an undue number of problems.
  19. Zud

    Zud Senior Member

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    Thanks Mark,

    I haven't completely 86ed the Azimut but the present owner is fairly old and by the hours didn't use it much...may still have the quirks.

    What (if I may ask) do you have now?

    Not completely sold on the Sea Ray yet but do tend to like the Fairline, Viking/Princess, Neptunus, any thoughts?
  20. Silver Lining

    Silver Lining Member

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    All three of these are good boats and choices. As I said before I would keep Sunseeker on the list. These are essentially the four brands that were on our final list. The Viking/Princess and Fairline are designed by the same naval architect, so there is much similarity in the hull design. At the point you are regarding the purchase process, we went to several boat shows to look at new and brokerage versions of the brands of interest. I then traveled to NY, NJ, MD, and Fl and looked in detail at several of each of the used boats of interest and it then became clear what the final choice was. The Ft Lauderdale show has some brokerage boats and several of these brand boats will be for sale in the area as well as in the NY LI region.

    Contact the brokers and do a detailed visit of the brand and vintage of boats on your short list. There will be differences that affect what you really want in the end. Be it a larger cockpit, lazarette access, swim platform, cruise speed etc. Also things like AC compressors under your bed or cored hulls (Sea Ray) were not acceptable but we required fresh water vacuum flush heads. You will also get a good feel for how the boats age and which boats were really properly cared for.
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2015